Ellie Spare was born at 1:51 a.m. Jan. 1, making her the first Beebe Baby of 2018.

Mom and dad, Katherine and Phil Spare, were not prepared to have a New Year’s Day baby. Ellie wasn’t due until mid-January.

“I was doing laundry on Sunday and whoosh, my water broke,” said Katherine.

The Millsboro couple was admitted to the hospital about 30 minutes later. Angela Caswell-Monack, of Beebe Women’s Healthcare – Plantations, delivered Ellie.

Beebe’s Women’s and Children’s Health team had put together donations for a basket for the first baby to receive. The basket includes onesies, little booties, blankets and more.

Ellie joins two siblings at home — a 6-year-old brother and a 22-year-old sister.

“We joke that Ellie is here only because of her brother,” said Phil Spare. “We weren’t planning to have any more children, but her brother wished for a baby in a wishing well, and two weeks later we found out we were pregnant.”